Reasons to Believe • 2017

59:24

Following the Euromaidan protests and fleeing of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Valdimir Putin invades the strategic region Crimea using separatist forces, and annexes it to the Russian Federation. The western world leaders try to convince Putin to a ceasefire in Crimea.

S1E1 • Putin vs the West • 2023 • People

106:24

Filmed over two years and across three continents, this documentary tells the story of the campaign by Julian Assange's wife and father to prevent his extradition to America, where he faces a maximum 175-year prison sentence. Weaving historic archive and intimate behind-the-scenes footage, the film tracks their journey as they embark on a worldwide odyssey to rally a global network of supporters for one of the world's most famous prisoners. First broadcast by ITV in 2023. First released in Australia in 2021.

2021 • People

43:03

On January 1947, Al Capone, the most notorious gangster in America is dead at the age of 48. After serving ten years prison sentence Paul Ricca takes his place alongside Tony Accardo as co-head of The Outfit, which is making more money than before thanks to the numbers racket. In order to hide their profits, the answer is a growing city in the middle of the Mojave Desert where gambling is legal—Las Vegas, Nevada. But for the mafia from Chicago it is difficult to get into the gambling paradise of Las Vegas, because the New York mafia is already there. But it turns out to be a well-organized partnership. The leadership around Tony Accardo expands rapidly and finances the construction of new casinos in the city. The money for this is provided, among others, by the boss of one of the country's largest unions, Jimmy Hoffa. But the connection flies.

S1E7 • The Making of the Mob: Chicago • 2016 • People

25:40

A flag can unite, divide and terrorize. Explore how a piece of cloth transformed into a powerful symbol of both love and hate, freedom and oppression.

S3E3 • Explained • 2021 • People

3:41

In previous decades, most news with global reach came from several major newspapers and networks with the resources to gather information directly. The speed with which information spreads now, however, has created the ideal conditions for something called circular reporting. Noah Tavlin sheds light on this phenomenon.

TED-Ed • 2015 • People

62:32

Have you ever wondered why people believe things like religion, spirituality, conspiracy theories and political ideology without evidence? Why it's so hard to change their minds, even after presenting the facts? Reasons To Believe is a thought-provoking documentary by filmmaker Ben Fama Jr., that explores the psychology and science of belief and why we believe, sometimes falsely, in things that may not match up with reality. Facilitated by leaders in the fields of science, philosophy, neuroscience, moral reasoning, psychology, perception, memory formation, and indoctrination, these experts answer a variety of thought provoking questions and provide tangible structure to the definition and creation of belief in the human brain. Fama asks the question: Why do we believe?

2017 • People